8 Steps to Enhance Your Spiritual Gifts

I’m periodically asked about what steps a seer can take to enhance abilities to see in the spirit realm. Well, this is akin asking how any of us can enhance the spiritual gifts God has graced us with.

Here are 8 steps, in brief. Basically, we need to improve our spiritual disciplines. The key word is discipline, something I struggle with, particularly when I’m not in active ministry. (But aren’t we always in active ministry??? Shouldn’t we be ready “in season and out?”)

Anyway, it shouldn’t be this way: we all should be ready to be used at a moment’s notice, and that means embarking on routine acts of spiritual discipline.

(These steps assume that you know Jesus Christ, a figure rooted in actual history who came in the flesh, died for your sins, and rose again. Learn more about who Jesus is here).

Here we go:

1. Fast regularly

Fasting means giving up food, although you can give up almost anything your flesh desires for a time.[ref]If you’re married, use caution when giving up sex, so as to not deprive your spouse. This isn’t my advice: It’s the Apostle Paul’s, and when in doubt, go with Paul’s advice![/ref]

When you are craving whatever it is you’re fasting, focus your mind on the Lord and ask God to draw you closer to him. Be purposeful. Somehow denying our flesh leads to enhanced spiritual gifts.

A fast can be as short as a single day, or 3, 7, 21 or even 40 days. Of course, use wisdom when going on prolonged food fasts. In these cases, I recommend the Lemonade Diet/Cleanse, so that your body isn’t starved and receives important nutrients.

If you find fasting easy… then you’re not doing it right.

2. Pray in tongues

When I want to enhance my spiritual gifts, I regularly pray in tongues, otherwise known as allowing the Holy Spirit to pray through me. This is a good practice anyway, even if you aren’t focused on enhancing your gifts.

(Yes, I know this is considered by many as “too much information” at best and “the problem gift” at worst).

If you don’t pray in tongues or haven’t, I echo the Apostle Paul’s suggestion that you do so. If you want this gift, consistently ask it, get others to lay hands on you, and request it from the Father. Don’t beg. Don’t be upset if you end up praying in tongues. It’s not a salvation or holiness issue. Receiving (or not) this gift is not related to maturity, sin, faith or obedience, so don’t fret over it. Just ask.

For me, when I want to grow spiritually or really want the Lord to break through in some area, I pray in tongues everyday, often first thing in the morning during my personal devotional time with the Lord. This devotional time (for me) also includes, of course, worship, scripture reading, praying in English, and journaling.

Getting filled with the Holy Spirit and praying in other languages isn’t just for crazy charismatics or Pentecostals. In the 20th Century, theologians in most major denominations issued treatises, white papers, and cyclicals endorsing this spiritual practice, including Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Baptists, Methodists, Episcopalians, Anglicans, Presbyterians, and more.[ref]Vinson Synan’s, The Holiness Pentecostal Tradition: Charismatic Movements in the Twentieth Century, Second Edition (Grand Rapids MI: Cambridge, UK: Williams B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1997, 222-286. [/ref]

In my spiritual house cleansing book, I go into details about this starting on page 252.

Again, I know tongues is the “problem gift” for some people. If it’s a problem for you, have grace and move on. Otherwise, seek this gift (it’s for everyone, according to Paul) and exercise it.

3. Get in a Church.

Too many sit out regular church attendance. They have many excuses: they don’t like the music, or the teaching, or the theology, or the pastor, or getting up early on Sundays, or doggonit, their kids’ traveling sports teams get in the way. The excuses are endless.

Americans especially put individual desires over community needs. Do you think this is what God had in mind for us? Being individualistic and me-centered? (See page 38 in my book).

Anyway, not getting involved in a church is a mistake, according to the book of Hebrews.

The point of getting into a church isn’t to agree with everything or even to like it all, but to get into community, a community that needs your involvement at least as much as you need to be involved

When you get into a church, this doesn’t mean you should try to change things to fit your image of how things should go. You’re supposed to get into community. Submit to a pastor, join a group or class, take communion, give financially, and most of all get in community.  

4. Study the Book of Acts

If you really want to understand how spiritual gifts work, – and understanding is needed to grow in the gifts – then study the book of Acts. You can do this by yourself, but it’s better to do it in a community, with at least one other, but maybe even in a group Bible study.

Note every activity of the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts in Acts. If you’re puzzled about spiritual gifts in general, study 1 Corinthians 12 through 14 (Paul’s essay on the topic), and then look for the evidence of these gifts in Acts.

The title of the Acts is often rendered “Acts of the Apostles”, but really, it should be called “Acts of the Holy Spirit.”

5. Study Col 3:1-17 for 21 days.

This leads to taking your thoughts captive, cutting out anything that takes your mind off Jesus, including watching or listening to thoughts or actions of violence or illicit sex or bloodshed or hate or anger (see Peace in Your House, starting on page 42).

Use the cheat sheet on this page to help.

As we get our mind set on heavenly things, your interpretation of what you’re seeing will improve.

6. Eat healthier.

I know, I know, this is crazy talk. First tongues, and now I’m saying improve your diet to enhance spiritual gifts?

Yes. I am.

Cut out unhealthy fats, sugars and processed foods, and increase veggies and fruit and lean meats. You know: the stuff God designed. Many of us tend to think about ourselves as a soul with a body and with a spirit. This thinking is rooted in Plato, a Greek philosopher.

But it’s not how God thinks about us. God sees us as deeply integrated and very complicated beings. We should begin thinking of ourselves similarly. The bottom line is this: your physical health impacts your spiritual growth.

Which naturally (get it?) leads to the next point…

7. Exercise regularly.

Oh, I hear the cries of outrage already.

By “regularly”, I don’t mean, “I exercise regularly once a year, on January 2.” You know very well what I mean!

8. Practice your spiritual gift.

The Apostle Paul recommends practicing your gift. Take risks in practicing. Take notes. Don’t be afraid of failing or making mistakes. Journal your experiences. Learn and grow.

Final Thoughts

I developed this list quickly in response to an email from a site visitor who wanted to know how he could enhance his spiritual gifts. I don’t think this visitor liked my response very much.

For that matter, I’m not sure I like it very much. I want a short cut. Stick my gift in a microwave and nuke it, so it’s ready super quick.  Alas, this post is targeted at me as much as anyone else.

Look. There’s no magic formula to enhancing your spiritual gifts. There is no short cut. There’s no get rich quick scheme.  It takes discipline and work.

But the outcome is worth it.

God has given you something wonderful. Steward it and watch it grow.

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Comments

  1. … finally reading this list you recommended when I commented on your article ‘Helping Non-Seers to See” back in November. At that time I had been desperately seeking the Lord and struggling with what my purpose is – still am – and had been woken from sleep with one word from God; Seer. Not knowing what this meant from a Biblical standpoint, a Google search led me to this site. I don’t particularly find this a gift to covet. Being raised to know Jesus from birth, I’d like to assume that I know a few things about walking the walk, and I have to say I agree with this list 100%… it’s spot on… and that’s probably why I do pretty much none of the things you’ve listed here. I am really struggling with fasting – to me it’s the singularly most important thing we must do – but I just can’t get past one day without getting a severe headache, etc., and I can’t face the thought of even trying again. (I’ve fasted for as long as 30 days on the master cleanse, and many shorter ones; I just can’t seem to start even one… more…) I know you can fast other things, but I already have eliminated most worldly influences from my life. I have had no tv in my house for almost 10 years now, very rarely watch a movie, and have no internet in my house either… just a few GB of data on my phone for e-mails, studying, etc. I fill my head and spare time with nothing but listening to either praise and worship music, or downloaded sermon audios.(My biggest struggle that lead me to be so desperately seeking the Lord last fall was my struggle with the small church I attended, and the worship team I played on there. I have been a professional musician my whole life, and have high musical expectations… my frustration and critical nature caused me to quit everything… and here I am, no church, no fellowship.) I’m only being honest, because I honestly need help. I have pushed away the “the world” so thoroughly, that I am almost completely insulated and isolated; by choice. But it turns out hiding in a cave isn’t the answer either, and I have to rise to the assignment God has for me. I struggle with pain issues from 4 head-on car accidents – the worst destroyed my career as a musician – and was followed shortly after by a serious rear-end collision, that led me down a nightmare existence of massive doses of pain meds, doctors, specialists, endless appointments, legal stuff… the usual nightmare… but God never left me, and spoke loudly and clearly: get off the pain meds, they were killing me. So I battled through that, and no longer take anything; I just live with pain, and am completely ‘burnt out’ and have very little fight left in me. I’ve been through so much physio, and still have so much pain, that I do everything to avoid exercise… but reading this article not only reinforces everything I know, everything that God has been putting on my heart, but it perhaps re-inspires me to even just TRY… again. And not because I want to develop a seers gift; I liken that to Ecclesiastes 1:18… life would be so much more simple to not know things, to not be awake… but we are the chosen elect, the remnant army, and are here ‘for such a time as this’. I love what I heard someone say, to think of all the great Prophets, Disciples, and Saints of the Bible, Paul, Moses, Elijah, Daniel, David, Jeremiah, Enoch!, all of them, watching down on us, cheering us on, praying for us, because, we ARE the ones, chosen for such a time as this. It’s just so hard.

  2. Hi Denise, check for copaiba essential oil and others for the pain. I am a professional musician as well, and understand what you mean about being part of the worship team that doesn’t have the training we have. Keep praying in tongues, He will show you everything you need to know. There is a fabulous book called Blessing your Spirit from Sapphire Ministries. Also, you can ask Father to have you meat and team up with those He has chosen you to work with. As for myself, I ame upon this site because it seems to me that Father has been showing me about frequencies… and now I am curious to know about auras and how He designed them. I have been approached twice already about my aura by two non-Christian people after God gave word to a prophet about how He sees me. The info matches and I feel like I have to look into this, but am trying to be careful to not go to New Age-y sites.

  3. How do I know if ur a seereer? I have few tngs similar but some things completely opposite of what the seers on this site see.

    • I don’t have a questionnaire. Basically, if you regularly see spirits or other things in the spirit realm, I classify you as a seer!

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